The Tucson Theatre Announcements List is a monitored e-mail list. Notices from Tucson area theatre companies, filmmakers and others are forwarded to the list members. These notices include auditions, casting calls, openings and other announcements of interest to actors, directors, techies and theatre lovers in our community. This Blog contains an archive of recent posts to the list. For more information go to http://tucsonstage.com

The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona will be presenting a special one night performance of No Way Out, a play by Tucson resident Susan Shear, on Thursday evening, November 13th, 2014 at the Holsclaw Theatre at the Temple of Music and Art.

No Way Out chronicles the true story of the playwright's family members in their own words taken from a collection of over 500 letters they wrote one another in their attempt to flee Nazi Germany. Performed throughout the country during the last 15 years at theaters, museums, history centers and universities, as well as 3 times at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, No Way Out is a gentle story of an ordinary family, geographically torn apart whose only means of communication is through their letters.

Most of the dialogue is read from the letters but a minimal amount of narrative must be memorized. Rehearsals will be held in October and November though scripts will be distributed by September. Dress rehearsal is November 12th at the theatre. An honorarium or stipend may be available if funding permits.

Please contact: Susan spshear@gmail.comfor more information regarding auditions, the performance and the play itself.

Aug. 2-3 Bisbee’s Obscure Productions will be holding auditions for “Agnes of God” by John Pielmeier on Aug. 2 and 3 at the Squffy Theater at Central School Project, 43 Howell Ave., in Old Bisbee. Auditions are from 2 to 5 p.m. both days, or actors may schedule an audition appointment.

This challenging play revolves around a novice nun, Sister Agnes, who has given birth. The infant’s corpse was found in a wastebasket. Dr. Livingstone, a psychiatrist, must decide Agnes’s sanity. The Mother Superior tries to shield young Agnes from the doctor. Who fathered, and who killed the baby? All three women must look more deeply at how each defines faith and love. A copy of the script is available for actors to read at the Copper Queen Library.

BOPis seeking three strong women for the roles. Agnes is a young adult or someone who can play young on stage. Some singing experience (soprano) is necessary for this role. Dr. Livingstone is middle-aged to older, must be willing to smoke fake cigarettes or nicotine alternatives. Mother Miriam is older. Actors are asked to come prepared for auditions with a one- to two-minute memorized monologue. They will also do cold readings from the script.

Rehearsals for “Agnes of God” will be on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons and Monday and Wednesday evenings through Oct. 2. Performances will be Oct. 3 – 12, evenings and matinees. Contact Elizabeth Henley at 234-8891 or at irishjiggonewestern@yahoo.comfor information and audition appointments.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

It seems logical enough that those of us with full sight would feel sorry for those without sight, those who have been blind since infancy like 41-year-old Molly in Irish playwright Brian Friel’s poetic work “Molly Sweeney” which Pat Timm has directed at Live Theatre Workshop.

For anyone who cares about thought-provoking theater that dares to contemplate the merit of values and intentions deep beneath the obvious, this production of “Molly Sweeney” must be seen. The casting is excellent. The performances are complete.

Each actor probes layered emotions, daring to want more while artfully maintaining a psychological balance in this competition of complex emotions. Like a delicate house of cards Timm’s three-dimensional structure hangs together as it grows more elaborate, until the playwright has his final say.

There is not a happy ending in the Hollywood movie sense of the word, but the conclusion is a satisfactory one – which reflection afterward will deepen considerably.

Friel didn’t stage this story with dialogue but as a series of interwoven monologues presented by Molly, her husband and her doctor each telling the audience their side of what becomes a touching tale of misguided intentions.

Carley Elizabeth Preston is cast as Molly, sitting in the somewhat drab cottage that is her home in County Donegal, Ireland. Steve Wood becomes Molly’s husband Frank, a restless guy whose dreams have a very short attention span.

Jeff Scotland plays the famous ophthalmologist-surgeon Mr. Rice. Ambitious by nature, he has been a little too reckless at times and now lives with some regret.

The story begins with the arc of 42-year-old Molly’s life. As a child she received the caring attention of her father, who taught Molly independence by learning how to distinguish all of her surroundings using the senses of hearing, smell, touch and taste.

Molly has reached a peaceful accommodation with her place in life, imagining herself in a world of wonders she will never see.

But energetic Frank wants more for her. He insists there is scientific evidence that, with the right doctor, Molly could have her full sight restored. Her life would be perfect.

Mr. Rice agreed there was no damage to the eyes themselves and, theoretically, there was a very slim chance some partial sight could be restored. He didn’t add that if the operation was successful, his own reputation would be enormously enhanced.

The sweetly generous Molly insists she is happy enough with her life as it is, but Frank is so determined to make her life better.

So Molly relents. She agrees to have the operation, which Mr. Rice has agreed to do. As the bandages are removed, large shapes vaguely defined become visible. There are some differences in color.

But even these become overwhelming for the quiet Molly. The shapes are always moving. They are nothing like what Molly imagined. She closes her eyes to shut them out. But her peaceful world has been shaken up and radically changed forever.

Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) players make Improv look simple (And hilarious!), don't they? I bet you think you could do it – and you're right! You can!Even if you don't consider yourself a "performer," the skills of Improv can help you in your personal and professional relationships.

Ask anyone who's ever taken any Improv class – for any reason – and you'll get the same response. If everyone would just take an Improv class, the world would be a better place. It's just that powerful.

Who is NBOJU anyway? Glad you asked! Founded in 2002, Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed has consistently brought its brand of Improv comedy to the best (and not-so-best) venues in Tucson. After 11 short years as a traveling troupe and a successful fundraiser last November, we have opened our permanent performance home at Unscrewed Theater, 3244 E Speedway Blvd. Tucson AZ 85716.

NBOJU offers classes, year round, at Unscrewed Theater. A new round of classes starts August 5 & 6 – and if you hurry, there just might be a spot left for you!

Each level consists of eight 2.5 hour sessions, along with a showcase performance on stage for your family and friends – at Unscrewed Theater! Each level is eight weeks long, and designed to take a complete novice from zero to funny in 24 weeks flat!

Tuition is a mere $20.00 per student per class and can be paid on a week to week basis. If you pay up front, the price is only $150.00 AND you get a free Unscrewed Theater t-shirt.

Class Details

Level One

Explore the basic elements of Improv in our introductory course. Agreement, listening, team work, and honest choices are emphasized as you learn and practice core principles of a good Improv scene. We focus on various games and exercises that encourage trust, communication, character development, and making your scene partner look good.

8 Week Course – classes meet once a week

Tuition: $160

Day/Time: Wednesdays, 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Prerequisite: None

Level Two

Now that you've learned the core fundamentals of Improv, it's time to explore and expand the basics. We dive into character, scene, and relationship work by "heightening," making bold choices, and learning not to go for the funny. Story telling and genre work are added to your Improv arsenal.

8 Week Course – classes meet once a week

Tuition: $160

Day/Time: Tuesdays, 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Prerequisite: Level One

Level Three

This upper level course explores both short and long forms of Improv, with an emphasis on group mind. Find your individual voice and style while developing three dimensional solid characters that take each scene to a new level. Successful completion of this course qualifies to audition for Not Burnt Our Just Unscrewed.

Singer-songwriter Marian Call is grounded in Alaska, though she spends a lot of the year on the road. She has released five albums since 2007, and her shows have been well-received in all fifty United States and all across Canada and Europe. Call's sound is soulful, honest, and clever, by turns humorous and heartbreaking. She sounds a little like Joni Mitchell & Ani DiFranco raising the love child of Ingrid Michaelson & Regina Spektor. She can often be found on the road singing and working hard, yet despite her frequent travels she stays rooted at home in Alaska for inspiration.

Unscrewed Theater is located at 3244 E. Speedway Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85716 (across from The Loft Cinema, next to Fronomo's). Parking and entrance are located in the rear of the building. Turn in to the Walgreen's parking lot and go to the left around the building.

Unscrewed Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching, performing, and producing all forms of live improvisational theater in Tucson, AZ.

Daniela Crispo Talarico. has had the pleasure of working with Joy Bingham Strimple on the past three Pandora Festivals and in an effort to assist her this year she is contributing writer of designer profiles for the website.

I am thinking that we can begin our conversation with a few questions and as you respond to them I will develop following questions from that point.I sincerely appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to enlighten our readers about your work and life.

I have been designing for N2T for three seasons and before that for ten years for Tempe Live!/Tempe Little Theatre. After TLT closed its doors just before its 40th season, I did not actively seek a new company to design for because my full time job kept me extremely busy. And the talent pool of designers in Phoenix is very competitive.

I understand that you work as a lighting designer with Nearly Naked Theatre. How did you develop a working relationship with them and how old/new is this relationship?

Damon Dering (Artistic Director and founder of Nearly Naked Theatre) sent me a contact email several years ago when he was looking for a lighting designer for Shakespeare's R and J. He had seen my work at Tempe Center for the Arts and an actress that had done work with both of us recommended me to Damon. I find the relationship both fulfilling and rewarding. When I am not designing a show for N2T, I often function as master electrician.

What part of being a lighting designer interests you the most? Which designers would you consider to be mentors or influences?

Probably what I most enjoy about designing is the creative process that starts with words on a page and the creative process and emotional investiture that helps bring the director's vision to fruition. While I can't point to any one designer as offering me more inspiration than any other, I do draw my ideas from the director and those actors that are involved in each production. That is why the art of lighting design is so fleeting. No cast and director and play are ever exactly the same, even if the subject material is an exact match, the people involved have changed.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background in general along with training in this field? Are you from AZ?

I have a degree in theatre from a small college in Ohio where the department at the time was only about 30 students, so it engendered a lot of individual attention. I would consider Dr. Jack Winget a mentor and a respected friend from Baldwin- Wallace University.While I was in undergrad I worked for Berea Summer Theatre for four years in the scene shop and assisting backstage for plays and musicals doing props and assistant backstage management. I also worked for the Cleveland Ballet as assistant to the lighting designer for two seasons (an autumn season program and the same again in the spring).

Is there a particular production or piece of work that you are the most proud of? And why?

I am proud of all of my designs. And my specialty is the use of color (and lots of saturated color) My favorite productionis the one on which I am currently working.

What guided you to become interested in lighting design?

I became interested in the design/tech aspects of theatre when I was in high school and knew I didn't have the temperament for acting or directing. A high school honors project involving the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival led me to choose a university level study of technical theatre.

.If people are interested in seeing the gallery of my work (though photographs of lighting are but pale shadows of the original design) they are welcome to look up my profile on Facebook. I believe the gallery of design photos are open to all.

ARIZONA WOMEN'S THEATRE COMPANY

This season our intent is to feature the women behind the the scenes. The ladies who make it happen on the stage, who bring the mystery and the magic to the performance. These ladies are the lighting designers and they are rarely featured in the hoopla of the show--without them--the performers are 'in the dark'...watch for a monthly interview with these fabulous artists!

Doug Stanhope is Coming Back to Hotel Congress

We have some good news and bad news. Good news: Doug Stanhope is coming to Hotel Congress. Bad news: You have to wait three weeks. Stanhope will embark on a summer tour to New York, California, Australia and Tucson, AZ. We haven't seen him since last November when he filmed an hour of original material for the Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe.

You can catch the Bisbee boy at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 13 at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. You must be 21 and older, or have some sort of Benjamin Button thing going on. Click here to buy your tickets.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Auditions for The Community Players' production of 6 Rms Riv Vu, are being held on August 4 & 5, from 7-9 pm.

A six-room apartment, with a view of the Hudson River, is made available on Manhattan's Riverside Drive. Paul is a married advertising copywriter and Anne is a discontented housewife. The two meet when they respond to the newspaper listing for the available unit. They discover the door has been locked accidentally, trapping them inside, and a connection slowly develops as they begin to share the details of their respective lives.

The auditions will be held at the Community Playhouse, located at 1881 N. Oracle Road (just north of La Fuente restaurant). We are looking for actors and actresses to fill all roles. Performers auditioning for parts should be prepared to cold-read from the script.

The Musical Comedy touring production from Houston, Texas finds a home away from home in Tucson, Arizona.

All The Way Around LLC is proud to announce that their touring production of Country Gravy & Other Obsessions will be coming to the ZUZI! Theater in Tucson from July 31st - August 3rd, 2014.

Country Gravy & Other Obsessions is a musical comedy where its characters Mavis Applebee and Myrtle McGillicurdle, played by Julia Laskowski and Patti Rabaza, will come to your hometown rec center, hotel, church or bar to present the most valuable seminar of your life. That's right ... The only one you'll ever need.... A relationship seminar!

These two special ladies will fix relationships with husbands, wives, cars, food, bosses, relatives, can openers ... You name it! And yes, sometimes they'll show you how to dole out the tough love, like squirting your husband with a bottle of water if he goes to the fridge for one more hot dog. Listen and learn as Myrtle explains how to deal with difficult feelings in that chart topper, Stuff It. Then commiserate with Mavis while she sings about her favorite obsession in French Fry on the Floorboard!

Thru the course of the seminar, Mavis and Myrtle do a lot of healing (mostly on themselves) when they work thru the trauma of their childhoods with neglectful, druggie parents. Be amazed as they channel their opera diva mothers in a show stopping operatic fight scene!

Julia Laskowski (Mavis) has performed extensively throughout Europe and the United States. She has performed most notably in concert in Italy (Gubbio, Lazise, Tolentino, Pinzolo and Pavia) and Frankfurt, Germany; the Amato Opera and the Off Broadway production of Miss Lulu in New York; recitals at the Disney Hall in Los Angeles; and every prominent theater in Houston, including the two premiere Broadway theaters: Theatre Under The Stars and the Alley Theater. She sang the title role in Always...Patsy Cline for 18 months - the longest running musical ever in Houston!

Julia is a graduate of California Institute of the Arts, where she began her career as an opera singer. Her operatic experience includes Micaela, Queen of the Night, Zerbinetta, Donna Elvira, Amina and Rosina. She is also known for her impeccable comedic talent as seen in her performance of Zombina in the musical comedy, Zombies from the Beyond. She performed the title role in the Off Broadway production of Miss Lulu and has also performed in an Italian tour, Il Mito Di Broadway. Julia maintains a very busy voice studio.

Patricia Rabaza (Myrtle) has performed at Carnegie Hall, Vatican City and Notre Dame. She has performed leading roles with Theater Under the Stars, Opera in the Heights, Opera of the Ozarks, Nacogdoches Repertory Opera, Oklahoma Lyric Theater, Houston Theater LaB, and performed as a guest artist with the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra and San Angelo Orchestra. She created the role of Araminty Brown in the world premier musical, Grand National, through the educational outreach program of Houston Grand opera.

Her favorite roles include Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly, Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte and Hildy in On The Town. Her acting credits include work with Houston Theater LaB, Third Coast Comedy, The Strand Theater in Galveston. She also played the lead role of Agnes in the independent short film, Jim and Agnes. She sang the world premiere of Still We Dance and has performed with Winton Marsalis.

Daryl Banner (Mavis and Myrtle's Pianist Schworken Kabierbenbarben) is a composer, actor, and novelist. He graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Theater and Psychology where he participated as an actor and writer in the Edward Albee Workshop studying under the great Lanford Wilson for three years.

He also wrote book, lyrics & music for "The Walker-Through-Walls" as part of the Stuart Ostrow Musical Collaboration. Since graduating, he has acted in the 10x10, performed as the Bellhop in the Country Playhouse's "Lend Me a Tenor." He composes music for video games, short films (including 48-hour film project) and iPhone apps. He has been a returning writer for MADcap-24 at the Country Playhouse for five years producing two plays and three 10-minute musicals.

All The Way Around (Producer) is a NYC based production firm focusing on theater and film projects that tell strong, engaging stories. It was created by Chandler Wild and Scott DelaCruz in late 2011 after a number of years of collaboration.

With backgrounds in production, development, post, and web driven content the two strive to bring stories to life that deserve to be told. In addition to this project, current works-in progress include the feature length documentary "Mount Lawrence", the short documentary "Changeover", the feature "In The Rubber Room", and Foreign Bodies a selection of plays from the playwright Charles Borkhuis.

From the Tucson Weekly…

The Jigglewatts Are Coming to Town

Bringing their own brand of opulence and Texan sass, the performers of the Austin-based Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue will return to Tucson on their Texas Tease 'Em Tour at 10:00 p.m. Thursday, August 7, 2014 at the Surly Wench Pub located at 424 North 4th Avenue in Tucson, Arizona. Tickets are $10 general admission/$30 VIP reserved seating and available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/773158. For more information visit the official website at www.thejigglewattsburlesque.com or call 512-680-1867.

The Huffington Post calls their show "sassy and sexy...classy entertainment." The Dallas Morning News calls Estrada “funny and irreverent.”

Founded in 2006, the Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue has been entertaining audiences with their re-imaginings of classic burlesque and original forays into the art of neo-burlesque. Members of the troupe have headlined internationally and feature classically trained dancers, vocalists, comedians and entertainers whose brand of burlesque has won them a string of standing ovations among male and female adult audiences of all ages.

From the Tucson Weekly…

The Jigglewatts Are Coming to Town

Bringing their own brand of opulence and Texan sass, the performers of the Austin-based Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue will return to Tucson on their Texas Tease 'Em Tour at 10:00 p.m. Thursday, August 7, 2014 at the Surly Wench Pub located at 424 North 4th Avenue in Tucson, Arizona. Tickets are $10 general admission/$30 VIP reserved seating and available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/773158. For more information visit the official website at www.thejigglewattsburlesque.com or call 512-680-1867.

The Huffington Post calls their show "sassy and sexy...classy entertainment." The Dallas Morning News calls Estrada “funny and irreverent.”

Founded in 2006, the Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue has been entertaining audiences with their re-imaginings of classic burlesque and original forays into the art of neo-burlesque. Members of the troupe have headlined internationally and feature classically trained dancers, vocalists, comedians and entertainers whose brand of burlesque has won them a string of standing ovations among male and female adult audiences of all ages.

For one weekend only, Friday July 25 and 26 at 7:00, and Sunday, July 27 at 2:00 at the Comedy Playhouse, 3620 N. 1st Avenue, Theatre Harmony Ensemble, in Association with The Comedy Playhouse" will present THREE TIMES LOVE by George DeRodio.

THREE TIMES LOVE consists of three one acts each on dealing with different aspects of human love and relationships.

The first one, Gun Play, deals with a stranger, a young man, who attempts to rob a little old lady on the street. He thinks he's tough and he says he has a gun. The little old lady, (Emma Frisky) quickly figures out that what the young boy (Terry) is hungry, but just lonely too. Together they "bond" in what will become an abstract, but working relationship. The hilarious comedy stars Ina Shivack as Emma and Xander Mason as the young man.

Meanwhile, up in Inwood, is about another stranger, this one who appears at a women's door to ask her about her neighbors whereabouts. He is a fish out of water. A tough guy, on the upper east side, with a purpose we are not sure of. Can these two unmarried people find each other and is the moth of a women getting to close to the flame of this man of the streets. Well, they say that there is always a person for everyone and that sometimes opposites do attract. This "Killing" black comedy stars Mary Davis, as the poor unsuspecting victim Mildred and Michael Sultzbach as Arnold, the mysterious man.

A LETTER FROM COWBOY is the story of the Bacone family. Prodigal son Eugune "Cowboy" Bacone has written a letter to his longtime suffering dad David Bacone that he wants to come home. His brother, Fast Eddie, and his wife Irene are none to happy about this, nor is David's wife, Stella who physically is falling apart. Family dynamic's take over, and in a heartbreaking end a resolution is finally reached. The amazing cast consists of Vincent Flynn, Hilary Pursehouse, Mark Klugheit, Denise Blum, George Cardieri and Kriste Bell.